Leigh Pomlett: We need 5,000 Walsall fans at Banks's

It definitely comes across as a demand to me, this quote around half way through the article sums it up for me and @Shrewsbury-Saddler, “I’ll keep mentioning it and I’ll say it again, 5,000 please and then things become possible.”

Our average attendance figure so far this season is 4,631. Last season in League One we averaged 4,927 (boosted by playing teams like Sunderland, Portsmouth, Coventry etc) and we all know how ■■■■■ we were last season.

When Mr Pomlett ‘took over’ and Darryl Clarke was appointed we sold an extra 450 odd extra season tickets on a wave of optimism. Now without this unexpected boost we’d be looking closer to 4,000 than 5,000.

Also given that we are 23rd in the home form table - played 6, won 1, drawn 2 and lost 3 (3 defeats in the last 4 games), only Morecambe are below us in that respect. The only way I can see our home attendances going in the near future is down.

Our next two homes game are Cheltenham and Mansfield, two teams not too far away in terms of mileage. Cheltenham are going well but doubt they’ll have much of a following, Mansfield should bring a few more to boost the numbers. Following that it’s Cambridge and Stevenage.

Apologies, I work in Data and Performance, I love a stat or two.

I honestly expected to be going on a regular basis this season,but I haven’t been inspired to go to a single game yet.

The more I think about this the more I think, what a ■■■■■■■ nerve, to be honest. I’ve been to every home game this season and I don’t blame anybody that doesn’t spend their Saturday watching this crap at up to £22 a pop.

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I am pleasantly surprised the gates have stayed as high as they are…when we were playing like this in the first 2 years under Hibbitt I think they were a lot lower.If we don’t improve our home form they will certainly go down rather than up especially with some of the teams yet to come.
Having said that some of the comments on here criticising him are a little off the mark. All he is doing is stating the obvious…the more people who come the better from both a financial and playing point of view. Personally I would like to see more ticket initiatives to encourage new fans …why not try as Orient did on Saturday a football for a fiver game especially when the international break is on.

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My understanding was that we sold a further 450 season tickets when the early bird price was reinstated ahead of the season starting.
Do we know how many season tickets were sold in total compared with last season?

Think we will struggle to hit 42/43 hundred this weekend tbh.

You’ll get 5000 if the team perform Leigh. I like the bloke, but rather than preach to fans about turning up, maybe try having a word with the people who can actually affect what happens on the pitch

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On a side note it’s great to hear Leigh Pomlett attended the Walsall Supporters Trust board meeting last night.

If I didn’t have a season ticket I would have stopped attending by now. In the seven home games I’ve seen I’ve not been excited by the ‘football’ on display once. Frankly the team is clueless when it comes to attacking, too ponderous, lacking anyone who can pass forwards and with sorry excuses for ‘strikers’! Clarke talks a good game, like many in sport, but the end product so far is dismal at best. 5,000 home supporters? Fairies at the bottom of his garden perhaps?

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Disappointing to hear another rallying cry when he’s failed to fix some of the most basic elements of the match day experience.

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Sure, because demands always involve the word ‘please’.

3 things will grant him his wish:

  • Higher quality football and an attack minded team
  • A run of wins
  • A team playing with confidence

All three are inter-twined of course, but I am sure our new Chairman will understand that more punters will come through the turnstiles when what they see on the pitch is something to excite them more.

I still believe it will come good and if we climb the table and start looking like a decent team, playing with some consistency and belief, more people will come.

As I pointed out on another thread, having dug out the 2006-07 attendances, regular 5K plus gates are possible in Division 4 but we need results and we need to be pushing for promotion.

A season floating around mid/lower end of the table and I will be surprised if gates are over 4K.

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Bonser and his 400k pension still a weight dragging the club downwards. The geezer is a complete ■■■■■.

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If it was ‘Please could 5,000 fans attend our next home game?’. That would be begging but a generally pleasant tone.

The quote is ‘5,000 please and then things become possible’. Comes across to me as a demanding tone as in ■■■■ all will happen until we get 5,000 through the gates.

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If he had made a statement after the Summer deadline, having signed 2 or 3 quality attacking players, then I would say that 5k is realistic. Poor players, performances, strange tactics, scraping the bottom of League 2, poor facilities, ain’t gonna get the crowds flocking

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Sorry but I’m struggling to see what bridges have been built , and why it warrants extra fans to part with their hard earned??

£50 to any poster who can convince me :wink:

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Ultimately winning football matches will bring people in.

However as others have rightly pointed out, when they come you’ve got to make the match day experience good, and our kiosks and toilet facilities need a complete overhaul. It just ain’t the 80s anymore, if I was visiting from free complementary tickets I’d be laughing at what we provide.

You get better down at Rushall.

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You get better football down at Rushall.

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According to the latest Sky bet avarage attandance league two table we sit 9th with 4,631

Obviously Bradford are top with 14,132 - currently sitting third

Then:
Plymouth 9,683 - 11th, Swindon Town 7454 - 7th, Orient 5759 - 17th, Northampton 5211 - 18th, Port Fail 4947 - 13th, Grimsby 4805 - 10th, Exeter 4748 - second.

Now the ones below us:

League leaders Crewe (can’t really believe it from when we played them) 4629.

We also have 5th Newport County 4266
Mansfield 15th (who I think are underperforming considering the players they have signed) 4254

Two more clubs in the top seven:
Forest Green 2394 - 4th
Saturdays opponents 6th place Cheltenham - 3122.

Also the best side I have seen us play this season at the Banks’s in the league cup, Crawley, sitting ninth average attendance 2283

It just goes to show, with the right recruitment and coaching just what can be achieved, especailly clubs like Forest Green and Cheltenham, surely neither of these has a bigger budget than us with those attendances. Even Crewe, who I watched us muller for the first 15 minutes when we could have been 2 or 3 to the good. They have no big names playing for them, unlike Bradford, Plymouth, Mansfield etc

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Are these questions being asked at the Working Party Meetings and what answers are coming back. I.e with regards to the match day experience

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Control the controllable Mr Pomlett. The football is not bringing them in, and it may not for a good while.

Improve the matchday experience. Really simple stuff.

  • Properly identify seat and row numbers.
  • Train the stewards to help fans, particularly new or occasional ones, rather then get in their way. They should be there to aid the experience not hinder.
  • Establish decent & engaging pre-match and half-time entertainment.
  • Have a kiosk menu and prices that people can actually browse.
  • Sort the queues, anticipate demand, make it easier.
  • Same at the bars.
  • Apply consistent pricing throughout the club shop.
  • Essentially MAKE fans feel valued rather than just talk about it.

The only off field improvements I can see are the community driven stuff, which is great and fabulous PR, but won’t have newbies coming back week after week.

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